Love Story
by Xhibit B
Summary: AU. Jealous!verse. A look into how Sarabi came to be Queen of the Pride Lands. And how Ni fell in love. Prequel to "If I Don't Have You".
1. Prologue

**Love Story**

**By: Xhibit B**

**Prologue**

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.i do not own the lion king.

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"When Sarabi comes of cub baring age, she will mate and produce an heir for my son, Prince Jabari," King Mansa said, staring Erevu and Athena down. They both had to control their muzzles from forming a grimace in his presence. "This is not negotiable; they are to spend time together starting tomorrow to prepare for what lies ahead for them as mates."

Erevu did not say anything as the King turned and walked away, no matter how much he wanted to; leaving himself and his mate staring hard eyed in the middle of their den. When he was sure the King and the lions that had accompanied him to their den were out of earshot, he turned to nuzzle Athena. Erevu didn't like this arrangement, and judging from how tense her body was, his mate didn't like it either. It was no secret how horribly the males of the royal family treated their mates. And he would not allow his daughter to go through that. "Sarabi is not going to be mated to Prince Jabari, not if I have anything to say about it."

"But what can we honestly do," Athena asked, the concern evident in her eyes and voice. "Sarabi will be turning three in just over a moon's time. And I am carrying more cubs, so travel will be near impossible for us, especially if we go a long distance from here. The cubs could come at any time while we are without a Pride's protection and that could cause quite a deal of trouble."

She knew from the talk around the Pride how the royals were. Queen Aisha was, unfortunately, subjected to being beaten every time the King didn't get his way. There had been several instances throughout his reign that Athena noticed her walking with a limp or unable to speak because she'd been hit so hard. She didn't want that for her daughter, especially because she knew Sarabi. The tawny lioness would fight back and inevitably get herself killed for it. They had to think of something quickly in order to get her out of this mess. And if it came down to it, she would just have to knuckle down and bare traveling while pregnant.

"We will just have to take a chance traveling while you are carrying," Erevu answered softly. While he did not like the thought of his heavily pregnant mate traveling far distances at such a critical time, he couldn't wait for the cubs to be born, either. There was no telling when they would come, and if they waited too long, Sarabi's fate would be sealed. There was too much at stake. "We can go to the Pride Lands. King Ahadi is fairly welcoming of new lions, as is his mate, Queen Uru. Especially considering our current situation right now."

"How long does it take to make it to the Pride Lands," Athena asked. They had to be cautious about this. If it took too long, and the cubs came, it would be hard traveling with newborn cubs and trying to nurse at the same time. But they had to go, for Sarabi's sake, "And when will we leave? The sooner we leave, the better chance we have of making it there before I give birth."

"It is a seven-day trek," Erevu answered, "Perhaps longer given your condition. But, we will leave tonight, when the Pride has gone to sleep under the cover of night. It's the safest way to leave undetected. Now sleep, I will fetch Sarabi and Naanda and inform them of what is happening. You, more than anyone, need all the rest that you can get."

Athena nodded in understanding as she laid down, careful of her belly. Erevu offered a fond lick to her cheek before he silently left their den. The dark-furred lioness definitely did not want her daughter mating with the Prince of the Northern Mountain Pride. But, this journey worried her due to her condition. Her cubs could come any day now and the last thing that she wanted was to bring new life into the world without the protection of a Pride. Silently, she prayed to the Great Kings of the Past that she would be able to hold out long enough for them to make it to safety.

…

It had taken some time to find his daughters, but when he did, they were beneath the shade of the acacia trees that overlooked the valley. Clearing his throat, both his daughters glanced back at their father with curious, almost worried gazes. What could their father have wanted? Was something wrong with their mother? Had she given birth to the cubs already? So many questions swirled around the lionesses heads.

"Father," Sarabi, a lioness with a tawny coat much like her mother's and concerned scarlet eyes, said as she got to her paws. "Is there something wrong?"

"Is mother okay," Naanda, his eldest daughter and similar in colour to her sister with a line of darker fur from the tip of her forehead down her back, said. "Has she given birth to the cubs?"

"No," Erevu answered, "Your mother is fine. The cubs have not made their entrance into the world yet. I came because we need to talk, Naanda, Sarabi. Come back to the den with me girls, I don't want prying ears overhearing our conversation."

Confused, the two sisters glanced at each other before quickly following after their father. It was silent during the walk from the acacia trees to their den, both sisters wondering what, honestly, could be going on. It wasn't until they were inside where their mother was sleeping peacefully that Sarabi spoke.

"Father, what's going on," Sarabi asked quietly so not to wake her mother. "Is there something wrong? Have Naanda or I done something to make you upset?"

"No, no, that's not what this is about," Erevu answered with a tired smile. "The reason I came to retrieve you is because King Mansa stopped by today. He… demanded that you become Prince Jabari's mate once you have reached cub baring age, Sarabi."

The revelation took both Sarabi and her sister by surprise. Just as everyone else was, they were aware of how King Mansa treated his mate. And how the Kings prior to Mansa had abused their Queens for the slightest little thing. A low growl escaped both daughters, Sarabi shaking her head, "I refuse."

"King Mansa says it is not negotiable," Erevu informed her as he laid down. Sarabi was about to open her mouth to say something else, but was stilled by her father holding up a paw. "That is why we are going to escape the Northern Mountain Pride. We will go to the Pride Lands, and live under King Ahadi and Queen Uru's rule instead. It is the safest place for us to go, Mansa wouldn't dare travel that far looking for us."

"Escape, how," Naanda asked. "Mother is in no condition to be traveling. Not with the cubs so close to being born. It's not safe, we would be susceptible to attack in the open with newborn cubs in our maws as we traveled. And the Pride Lands are a seven day walk from here. It's too risky. We should wait until they are born."

"That's too risky," Erevu said softly. "If we wait and they are born after your sister has reached cub baring age, it will be too late. Your mother and I have discussed this already. We are to depart tonight. If we move as quickly as the cubs allow, we will make it to Pride Rock in time before they are born. If we were to wait, your sister's fate is sealed."

Naanda sat on her hunches, thinking over what her father said. On one paw, he was absolutely right. If they didn't leave now, Sarabi would be forced into a life of misery. But on the other, if their mother was to give birth while they were traveling, they could all very well be in great danger. Naanda had only just turned four-years-old several moons prior and Sarabi would be three in the coming weeks. And of course, they had their father, but just the three of them would not be enough to protect their mother and the cubs during this journey if they were to come sooner than expected.

"I know what it is you are thinking, Naanda," Erevu said suddenly. "But have faith, everything will be fine. The Great Kings of the Past will watch over us and ensure we have a safe journey. Now, both of you, get some rest. We depart when night has fallen. Being that it is the night of the new moon, this is the best night for us to depart."

Both Sarabi and Naanda nodded, curling up beside each other before drifting off to sleep. The entire time she slept, Sarabi was plagued by nightmares of becoming Prince Jabari's mate. And she shuttered at the mere thought. So, when her father woke her several hours later when night had fallen over the land, she was all too eager for herself and her family to escape. She didn't look back once as they left the Northern Mountain Pride behind.


	2. Chapter One

**Love Story**

**By: Xhibit B**

**Chapter One**

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.i do not own the lion king.

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Sarabi sighed as she returned to the small jungle oasis she and her parents had settled in for the evening with Naanda. Her mother was getting increasingly more tired with each passing day and every day became just a bit more dangerous to travel for fear she would give birth at any time. They'd already been traveling for ten days. Usually, it was only a seven-day journey from the Northern Mountain Pride to the Pride Lands, but with their mother's condition, they weren't surprised that it was taking longer than usual. At least they didn't have to worry about King Mansa coming to look for them this far away from their homeland.

Her sister walked at her side, the antelope they had managed to catch together hanging from her jaws. It had taken some doing, but they'd finally managed to bring it down with teamwork. Now, they were returning to where their parents were resting. According to their father, they were less than half a day's journey from Pride Rock still. If they left at sunrise the next morning, they would make it there by mid-day. Sarabi prayed that her mother and the cubs were able to hold out until they made it to the Pride Lands and secured a place in the Pride.

When they arrived at the place their parents were resting, Naanda placed the antelope down before tucking in; Sarabi to her left before the four lions delved in, eating their fill of the meat. When they'd finished their meal, Naanda and Sarabi tasked themselves with discarding the carcass as their parents talked amongst themselves quietly. After discarding what remained for the vultures to take care of, Naanda smiled at her little sister. Sarabi, confused by her sister's sudden smile, glanced at her with an irked brow.

"What is it, Naanda," Sarabi asked. "Something on your mind?"

"Not really," Naanda answered in a motherly tone. "I just couldn't help but think how much Mother and Father really love us. I mean, they were willing to up and relocate as soon as King Mansa made a horrible proposal, despite Mother's condition. It's no secret how the royals treat female mates. Abuse is way too common when it comes to the Kings and their heirs."

Sarabi nodded. She knew why her parents decided to pack their children up and leave as soon as the proposal was made. Both Sarabi and her sister were overly assertive, something they'd inherited from both their mother and father. She wouldn't stand for abuse from anyone and being mated to Jabari just begged for trouble. She would have fought back every time he started to try and abuse her before inevitably being killed for it. Their parents hadn't wanted to put her or their family through that. And she was grateful for it, despite she and her sister's protests to not leave until the cubs arrived. While it still would have been a difficult journey, their mother wouldn't be hindered by constant fatigue because she was expecting and they would have made it there in record time.

"Yes, Queen Aisha has taken her fair share of blows from the King whenever he was upset about something or other," Sarabi answered solemnly. "I've seen her, several times, sporting a nasty scar or walking with a limp after a beating."

Naanda nodded her agreement, "That poor lioness. No one should be treated like that, especially by their mates. That was all the more reason for us to get you out of there as soon as possible. Though I wish this arrangement would have been presented at a more convenient time."

Sarabi nodded her agreement, "Yes, usually it is a seven-day walk to the Pride Lands. But with Mother carrying cubs, it has made the journey stretch longer than need be. But, Father says that we're less than half a day's walk away from the Pride Lands now. We should reach it by mid-day tomorrow if we leave when the sun breaks the horizon."

Naanda nodded, "Yes, I can actually see the rock formation that the lions of the Pride Lands call home from here." She gestured to the left of her, causing Sarabi to glance over as well, "You see? We're not very far away now, and King Mansa will never come this far to search for you. If we had gone to any of the other Mountain Prides, you'd have been found and forced to return. Father made the right call."

Sarabi nodded in agreement. Everyone knew that King Mansa wouldn't go more than a three-day's journey from his lands. The further they got away from them, the better. She glanced towards the sun that was almost completely hidden by the horizon by now. "We should head back and get some sleep, Naanda. Dawn will be upon us faster than either of us is prepared for and we still have a bit of a journey ahead."

Naanda nodded, "You're right, let's go."

Together, the two sisters made their way back to where they had left their parents. When they'd returned, the found both their mother and father sleeping peacefully; their mother's head tucked snugly against their father's mane. Both Sarabi and Naanda made themselves comfortable around their mother; easily falling into a peaceful rest. There was a smile on Sarabi's muzzle as she dreamed of a peaceful life in the Pride Lands. And when her father woke both herself and her sister just as the dawn of a new morning was upon them, she headed towards her sanctuary with a smile on her muzzle the entire way.

…

The wind brushed through the white lion's growing mane, a small smile on his muzzle. The mark that branded him as a member of the Lion Guard gleamed proudly on his left shoulder. Being deemed Bravest in the Pride Lands was a great honour to the young male.

The rest of the guard were off securing the other quadrants of the Pride Lands, leaving the almost four-year-old male on his own. He'd just been about to turn and head back home when he heard paw steps headed his way. He turned, growling lowly as he crouched down; in position to attack should he need to until he saw who it was that had been the source of the paw steps. He straightened up when he saw her.

She looked to be about his age, perhaps a few moons older than he was with dark, tawny fur and a long strip of darker fur stretching from her forehead to the beginnings of her tail. She was beautiful, he had to admit. And she looked as if she were panicking. When she noticed him, her ears perked up and a smile graced her muzzle. "Oh, thank goodness, my mother needs help! Can you help us get to the Pride Lands?"

"You are in the Pride Lands," the male answered, "Now who are you? Why have you come here?"

"I am Naanda, my family and I come from the Northern Mountain Pride and are in search of a new home," Naanda answered just as her mother, sister and father arrived.

The white lion gazed at them suspiciously until he noticed one of the lioness' condition. She was heavily pregnant, obviously ready to give birth any day now. That must have been what she'd meant by her mother needing help. He nodded, gesturing for them to follow him back to Pride Rock that was a short distance away. The family of four wasted no time in doing so. It was the youngest lioness that spoke. "My family and I thank you… um."

"Ni," the white lion answered as he smiled at them over his shoulder. "My name is Ni."

"We thank you, Ni," Naanda said with a soft smile.

"Of course, I will take you to King Ahadi and Queen Uru," Ni answered. "They should be in."

The family of four nodded, following close after the white lion. Along the walk, they'd told Ni their names as well as why they'd left their Pride. Ni sympathized, word about how Kings treated their mates in the Northern Mountain Pride had reached even the ears of the Pride Landers who were so far away. They stopped only briefly to get a drink from the watering hole that wasn't far from the path that led to the entrance of Pride Rock. As they passed by members of the Pride, they could hear the fascinated whispers of lions and lionesses alike. It wasn't every day that new faces appeared to speak with the King and Queen. Especially when one of the lionesses was carrying cubs.

"You can rest here," Ni informed them as they entered the den the Pride shared. "I will get the King and Queen for you so that you can explain what is going on. Are any of you hungry?"

Erevu nodded once, "If you have anything to spare, at least for my mate and daughters, I would be grateful. Especially since Athena is carrying cubs."

"Of course," Ni said before he turned and padded out of the den, leaving the family to themselves.

Several minutes later, three lionesses entered the den, each carrying meat for the family. They'd set the meat down, greeting the family kindly before leaving them again. The family of four delved into the zebra meat happily, finishing it off before piling the bones in the centre of them.

Sarabi glanced at her family after they'd eaten, leaning in slightly with wide scarlet eyes, "I never realized just how big this Pride actually was."

"It's way bigger than the Northern Mountain Pride, that's for sure," Naanda said in awe. "And everyone seems very nice. The lions that we passed upon our arrival looked fascinated to see us. Especially Mom. And the lionesses that brought us food were very kind also."

Athena laughed lightly, "Yes, I noticed as well."

Erevu was just about to speak when they heard five sets of paws headed their way. The family of four turned to glance at the new lions that had appeared. In front was Ni, the lion they had met at the border. And behind him were who they assumed to be Queen Uru and King Ahadi. At their flank, were two young male lions. The family assumed them to be the King and Queen's sons.

"Erevu, Athena, Naanda and Sarabi, allow me to introduce their majesties, King Ahadi, Queen Uru, Prince Mufasa and Prince Taka of the Pride Lands," Ni said, glancing over at the royal family. "My King, my Queen, my Princes, this family of lions have journeyed from afar to humbly ask for refuge from their former home here." He nodded to Erevu who stood, "I will leave them to explain further."

Erevu saw that as his cue and stepped forward, bowing his head to the royal family. While he was not a small lion by far, the King was a bit larger than he was to his amazement. "King Ahadi, Queen Uru and the young Princes, it is an honour."

"The honour is ours," Ahadi said. His voice, though baritone, held a gentle kindness to it. "Please, tell us your story. Why is it that you have left your homeland?"

"My family and I come from the Northern Mountain Pride," Erevu explained as he glanced up at the King again. "Ten and a half days ago, King Mansa demanded that my daughter, Sarabi be mated to his son and produce an heir once she had reached cub baring age. Being that we knew the history of how any mate of the Kings were treated, my mate and I decided that we would not allow such a fate to befall our daughter. It was decided, despite Athena being so close to giving birth to our cubs, that we would leave our former home to spare Sarabi a life of misery and abuse."

Athena stood, coming to her mate's side. She continued the story, "We departed that night and have traveled for the last almost eleven days to reach your lands in hopes that we would find solace here. Though it is only a seven-day journey usually, my condition has hindered us."

It was then that the Queen glanced at the other lioness, a small smile crossing her muzzle. "You will be giving birth soon, will you not?"

"That is correct, my Queen," Athena answered before the burgundy furred lioness glanced up at her mate.

"Ahadi, we all know how the Kings of the Northern Mountain Pride are," Uru said softly. "And I would hate to leave them without the protection of a Pride, especially with her being so close to giving birth to cubs. Besides…" She leaned closer, whispering something that no one other than the King could hear before she pulled away again. "Don't you think, dearest?"

There was a smile on Ahadi's muzzle as he nodded. "Of course, my mate makes a very good argument. And being that we know how King Mansa and all of the Kings before him have treated the Queens of the Northern Mountain Pride, we shall permit you to stay. Mansa wouldn't dare come looking this far for you. He will give up and find another unfortunate lioness that will suffer at the Prince's paws."

Sarabi glanced down in shame. Though she had been spared a life of misery and abuse, another lioness would be taking her place. It saddened her, honestly, to think that someone she knew would have to endure what she'd been able to escape. But she couldn't worry about that, she had to focus on her life here in the Pride Lands and do everything in her power to be a productive Pride member. She listened intently as the King and Queen explained the rules of the Pride Lands to them and what their roles would be as members of the Pride with a smile on her muzzle; completely unaware of two sets of eyes that had been watching her the entire time.


	3. Chapter Two

**new chapter alert. apologies for the delay.**

* * *

**Love Story**

**By: Xhibit B**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

.i do not own the lion king.

* * *

"You know I saw that, right," Ni asked the golden Prince as they walked through the savanna under the night sky. "You made it extremely obvious, my friend."

It had been a few hours since Sarabi, and her family had been accepted into the Pride Lands by Queen Uru and King Ahadi. Ni had returned shortly after the decision was made to inform the King that there had been hyena sightings in the Pride Lands. That's when he'd found both Mufasa and Taka staring longingly at the beautiful, tawny lioness. He decided, when they were alone, he would talk to the eldest son of the King and Queen about it. But, that could wait until after he relayed his message to the King about the danger that lurked around the corner.

"Saw what," Mufasa asked innocently.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Ni chuckled. "Someone has a crush on the new girl. Two someone's do, actually. I saw the way you and Taka were staring at her. You know, if you don't make your move quickly, your brother is going to ask her first and then there goes your chance. That's _if_ she says yes, however. You might still have a chance though if she rejects him."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ni," Mufasa maintained, his nose up in the air. He hated how easily his best friend was able to read him; especially when it came to things like that. "I do not have a crush on Sarabi. I feel sympathy for herself and her family. Knowing what I know about the Northern Mountain Pride and how the Kings treat their mates, I am impressed by the family's willingness to uproot their lives even though her mother is so close to giving birth to cubs."

"Mhm, tell me anything and expect me to believe it," Ni chuckled again. He didn't understand why his best friend wouldn't just admit that he had a crush on the lioness. It wasn't like he was going to make fun of him or anything. Besides, it wasn't like there was a period of time you'd have to know someone before you found yourself falling for them. "You have a crush on Sarabi, and you know it. Not that I blame you, she's very beautiful and perfectly fit to be a Queen. Besides, you're going to need to find a mate sooner than later. Your mother and father are going to want to step down from the throne at some point, and when that time comes, you're the one that's going to be King. And, you can't be an effective King without the right Queen by your side, Mufasa."

"You are definitely delusional," Mufasa said rolling his eyes at the white lion. Deep down, however, he knew that his best friend was right. He'd developed a thing for the lioness within moments of seeing her. However, he'd tried to brush it off as lust. As an adolescent male, raging hormones were a normal thing to deal with. He'd really not thought much of it until Ni said something. "I'm not sure what you thought you saw, but I do not have a crush on Sarabi. Nor do I have to start thinking about finding a mate at the moment. I have plenty of time before I have to do so. Besides, I'm sure mother and father will keep the tradition of betrothal. I probably already have a Queen lined up for me that I have yet to meet. If Taka wishes to have her paw, then that is his right."

"Yeah right," Ni chuckled again. "Queen Uru and King Ahadi were not betrothed. And I'm pretty sure that they were not originally to be together. But, they fell in love and King Mohatu allowed them to be joined as one. Perhaps the same will happen for you with Sarabi… you never know."

"We're not talking about this," Mufasa grumbled.

Ni merely laughed as he continued to follow his best friend. Maybe one day he could finally get Mufasa to understand what he meant. And hopefully by then it wasn't too late for himself and Sarabi to be happy with one another. But for now, he'd leave it alone. He didn't want to aggravate his friend and he knew that was where this conversation would lead if he continued to press the issue. He'd let it be for now, but eventually, they would have to talk about it once Mufasa finally came to his senses.

…

Sarabi yawned, rubbing her face with the pad of her paw; an attempt to brush away her sleepiness. Shortly after the King and Queen had gone over the rules of the Pride Lands with herself and her family, her mother had gone into labor. The cubs had, thankfully, held out until they'd confirmed that they could stay in the land before making their debut in the world. Naanda and the Queen had quickly rushed her mother away, demanding that she and her father stay behind no matter how much they wanted to be present for the birth. Sarabi had taken it well, she understood that it was more a precaution than anything that she and her father did not venture into her mother's range while giving birth and thereafter. But her father, he wanted to be present despite the risks. And Sarabi had, had a time trying to keep him at bay. If it hadn't been for the help of a handful of lionesses, the King and Ni, he would have gotten away from her and tried to go after her mother.

Her head turned, glancing at her father who slept at her side; Naanda not far away. Several hours after their mother had been taken away, Naanda had returned with news that their mother had birthed two beautiful, healthy female cubs. Their father had been so filled with joy that, once more, he tried to escape and go after his mate. The King had advised him not to do so for fear of being attacked by their mother. Sarabi had visibly seen Erevu shiver. She figured he'd had a flashback to why he got that scratch beneath his eye. Her mother had told her how he'd rushed in to see herself and Naanda after she'd given birth and had come into contact with her claws as a result. The scar had healed well afterwards, thankfully, but was still noticeable if one looked hard enough.

"You should probably try getting some sleep, Sarabi," she heard her sister say, a single eye peeking over at the tawny lioness. "We are going to be going out hunting with the hunting party in the morning. You'll need your rest, little sister."

Sarabi nodded. When the Queen returned shortly after Naanda did, she'd informed both girls that they would be joining herself and other members of the hunting party on the morning hunt. Sarabi was quite looking forward to it as she had been one of the best huntresses in the Northern Mountain pride. And it would be nice to return to active duty. She also really wanted to see how this Pride differed in hunting tactics from her birth pride.

"We've also been tasked with bringing Mom food and water afterward," Naanda murmured, slowly returning to sleep. "You'll get to meet our little sisters, Dwala and Diku."

Sarabi's muzzle curled upward at the thought. She couldn't believe she was a big sister now. With that thought, she quickly succumbed to a peaceful, comfortable sleep. The first she'd experienced in a long time.

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**chapter complete. a little short but, i left it in a good place. i hope to have another chapter out sooner or later. i can't make any guarantees when, but i'm working on it. i do also want to mention that i've started planning my **_holiday crack and mistletoe 2020 updating event_ **already and i'm dividing my free time between writing chapters for that and trying to update my ongoing stories that are in desperate need of an update now. so, at best, for the next few months, updates will be scarce. but, i'll more than make up for that come mid-december, i promise. anyways, that's enough rambling. leave reviews and tell me what you think. until the next update, ciao~!**


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